The Mid-Year Mindset Audit

Welcome, to the Podcast! Our newsletter made easy! Please note, this podcast features AI-generated voices for your hosts, Mia Taylor and Leo Baker, bringing you expert insights from owner, Ben De Rosa, at Aevum Accounting. Each week, we're here to help you confidently navigate the ins and outs of Australian tax – whether it's for your individual finances, or the complexities of your business. We'll cut through the jargon to give you strategies for compliance, smart planning, and that ultimate peace of mind. So, if you're looking to understand your obligations, maximize your financial position, or simply gain clarity on your money matters, you're in the right place. Let's get started with something different this week. A shout out to a super fan! Michael Welton! has binged through our podcast this last few weeks at a rate like no one else has seen before. We wanted to take the time to thank him for his support and we hope his tax and business knowledge is better for it. Thank you Michael! And we are back! Leo Baker here, and Mia, I am particularly excited today because we have a returning champion in the studio. That’s right, Leo. On our last episode, we were joined by the brilliant Brand Strategist and Culture Architect who helped us understand the soul of a business. Today, we’re getting even deeper. Welcome back to the show, Dr. Ari Vance! It’s great to be back, Mia, Leo. Thanks for having me. Leo, I have to ask, did you ever succeed with that mission statement for your weekend? Let’s just say the vision of a clean apartment was strong, but the execution was... compromised by a strategic nap. My values of 'pro-caffeination' and 'strategic snack breaks' were, however, achieved with flying colours. Well, today we want to take that same thinking about mission and values and apply it not just to our businesses, but to our lives. We’re going to run through a kind of ‘Mid-Year Mindset Audit’ based on four powerful questions. I love it. It’s like a performance review for your own happiness. Okay, I’m ready. Where do we start this audit? We start with a big one: Alignment. The question is, are you living the life you truly want, or are you just settling? And to figure that out, Ari, we need to talk about identifying our "energy vampires." Energy vampires! They are the absolute worst. And it's crucial to understand they aren't just people who drain your will to live. An energy vampire can be a task, a habit, or even a notification on your phone. It’s anything you do that consistently leaves you feeling drained, frustrated, or smaller. I know one of mine! Trying to follow a complex recipe on YouTube. I start off thinking it'll be a fun, creative outlet, and an hour later I'm covered in flour, yelling at my phone, and feeling like a complete failure. It sucks the joy out of cooking. That is a perfect example! It’s a promised joy that delivers stress. For business owners, a common one is saying 'yes' to a type of work you hate, just for the money. Or the habit of checking work emails at 10 pm. These things seem small, but they are tiny little leaks in your energy tank. Identifying them is the first step to plugging the leaks. So once you’ve identified an energy vampire, what’s the next step? You make one small change. You don't have to solve it overnight. If it's the recipe videos, maybe you switch to a simple recipe book. If it's the late-night emails, you decide that after 8 pm, the phone goes on charge in the kitchen, not next to your bed. Small, deliberate choices are what move you closer to the life you actually want. Okay, I'm on board. No more angry-cooking for me. What’s the second pillar of our audit? Pillar two is about redefining the scoreboard. The question is: What does success look like to you, if you remove revenue and financial gain from the equation? Whoa. That’s a deep one. As a numbers guy, my brain just short-circuited a little. It’s a tough question because we're conditioned to see numbers on a bank statement as the primary measure of success. But financial success is often a 'lag indicator'. It follows other things. True success is a 'lead indicator' – the daily feelings of fulfillment, balance, and happiness. So how can someone, say a busy business owner, actually measure that? You create new metrics. Your new Key Performance Indicators, might be: 'How many evenings this week did I switch off and feel genuinely present with my family?' Or, 'On a scale of 1 to 10, how proud was I of the work I delivered today?' Or even, 'How many times did I laugh out loud?' When you start measuring what truly matters, you start managing your life to improve those scores. I love that. My fulfillment KPI for today is already at a 10 just from having this conversation. Okay, what’s pillar number three? This one is about growth: What new skill could you learn that would significantly enhance your business or your lifestyle? This is so important for getting out of a rut. Learning something new literally forges new pathways in your brain. It forces you to be a beginner again, which builds humility and creativity. And it doesn't have to be a university degree. So what kind of skills are we talking about? It could be business-related – like finally learning how to use job management software like Service mate or Tradeify to streamline your trade business. Or it could be personal. Learning some basic conversational Spanish for an overseas holiday. Learning how to properly use a camera to take better photos of your kids. Learning how to bake bread, Leo, without yelling at YouTube. Each one adds a new dimension to your life. The act of learning itself is an investment in your own adaptability. I've been meaning to learn how to properly smoke a brisket. A real low-and-slow, 12-hour brisket. The process, the patience... that feels like a skill that would teach you more than just how to cook. Exactly! It teaches you process, patience, and delayed gratification. That's a huge win for any business owner. Which brings us perfectly to our fourth and final pillar: Meaningful Connections. The question is, who can you connect with that could inspire, challenge, or support you? Ah, the old 'networking'. I always feel a bit awkward at those events, just swapping business cards. Because that's not connection, that's a transaction! This pillar is about shifting your mindset from 'What can I get?' to 'What can I give?' The fastest way to build a meaningful connection with someone you admire is to offer them value first, with zero expectation of anything in return. What does that look like in practice? It can be incredibly simple. Send them an article you read that you genuinely think they'd find interesting. Introduce two people in your network who you think could benefit from knowing each other. If they've written something you admire, send them a short, specific message telling them why you liked it. It’s about building relationships based on generosity and genuine interest. That’s what creates a powerful, supportive network around you. That’s a fantastic framework, Ari. The four pillars: aligning your lifestyle, redefining success, learning a new skill, and building meaningful connections. It’s a powerful way to check in with yourself. And it's not a one-off task. It’s something you can come back to every few months, just to make sure your ship is still heading in the right direction. And it's amazing how these personal questions link back to the health of a business. It’s actually at the core of the Business Coaching and Advisory work we do here at Aevum Accounting. We sit down with clients to ask these exact kinds of questions. Because a business that isn't aligned with its owner's ideal lifestyle or personal definition of success isn't sustainable. A happy, fulfilled, and connected business owner is one who makes better decisions, leads their team more effectively, and ultimately, builds a more resilient and profitable company. I couldn't agree more. The business is a reflection of the owner. If the owner is running on empty and chasing the wrong goals, the business will too. Getting clarity on this stuff is the best investment you can ever make. Wow. That’s a powerful thought to end on. My mind is officially audited, and ready for action! Dr. Ari Vance, thank you so much for blowing our minds once again. My absolute pleasure, guys. Anytime. And that brings us to the end of another episode! We hope today's discussion has provided you with valuable insights and helps you navigate your financial world with greater confidence. Before we go, a quick but important reminder: The information and strategies shared on this podcast are for general informational purposes only and do not constitute specific tax or financial advice. Everyone's situation is unique, and tax laws are complex and constantly evolving. For personalized advice tailored to your specific individual or business needs, we always recommend consulting with a qualified professional. You can connect with our team at Aevum Accounting – visit our website to learn more about our services, including detailed tax guides for various occupations, and how we can support your financial journey. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing, leaving us a review, and sharing it with anyone who might benefit. Your support helps us reach more Australians. Until next time, stay savvy, stay proactive, and keep building your financial future! From all of us at Aevum Accounting, goodbye for now!